Positive Equine Connection

01/11/2024

After some thought and reevaluation of where I am today verses where I was when I started this page, I have decided to rename it as it is following a different journey then I was originally on. I want this page to be a place to celebrate equines and how we can connect with them in ways that don't involve fear and dominance theory. I am not a professional trainer and that is why I wanted to remove the training word out of the name. I do consider myself very knowledgeable when it comes to behavior and training and feel very comfortable working with all horses no matter where they are in their journey with humans. I have to ability to share my knowledge and skills with others, but not for a profession but for the love of the horse. I always say be the change you want to see and that is my single goal in life currently. Running the rescue and helping equines as much as I can. When I started on this journey of rescue, training horses wasn't what I envisioned, but I quickly learned just how many horses have "failed" in traditional training or even that the unhandled ones do much better when started in no pressure ways.

Pictured is Penny. 12 yr old mule that I best describe as emotionally traumatized. She is with us for life as we slowly gain her trust.

01/10/2024

A fun little video with snip its of our girls Pixie and Willow.

01/03/2024

Challenge yourself to look deeper and ask yourself the tough questions. Sometimes the answer may surprise you and sometimes it may make you a kinder person. We all start somewhere, and growth is important.

12/29/2023

14 years ago, my journey with horses was about to change I just didn't know it at the time. Pixie came along and in no uncertain terms showed me if I wanted a relationship with her, I had to change. As the years went, I found myself looking for better ways and questioning everything I had learned in the past. 2015 came around and I took the leap and sold my bridles and bits. Each year that went by I was still evolving and growing in my journey. In the spring of 2022, I jump farther into equine rescue by bringing home 4 unhandled horses that were from a local cruelty case. Long story short I was about to find out how these unhandled horses were going to change my journey with horses even more. With 2024 right around the corner I like most others are reflecting back on the year and what it brought with it. I am finding that I am still learning and growing in my personal journey with equines. I have also found that when you look at the world of horses in a different way it opens up your heart and you start to see the value in a life not just a useful life. You start to see their strengths, their bonds, their lives as herd animals that don't necessarily revolve around us as humans. I stand in awe of these animals that adapt to our human world. In 2024 I want to learn even more and uncover any unconscious bias I have from growing up in the traditional horse world.
To Raven, Dove, Hannah, and River and all the other unhandled horses that I crossed or will cross paths with thank you for the lessons and teaching me to become better.

12/27/2023

In 2024 I am looking forward to continuing my journey of growth and learning.

12/27/2023

The word liberty can hold different meanings to different people and horses. True liberty to me is without strings attached. Now clearly our horses live in a world where they are not truly free because we keep them in fenced pastures, however, to me that doesn't me we can't give them as much choice as possible in what they participate in. If the horse is conditioned to know that if they leave your side, you will punish them then that is not true liberty. Take the time to reflect back and ask if your liberty work is true liberty work. Are you in an area such as a round pen that the horse is conditioned to know it means work? Has your horse been conditioned whips, ropes, etc that you carry? Think about how they are conditioned to the tools that you use. What does that tool truly mean to them?

People seem to be super impressed by bridleless, bitless and tack free riding and training.

But how was it trained and how did it feel for the horse?

Did you see Reinforcement (food) added, without pressure being applied first? If not, what do you think is motivating and maintaining the behaviour?

(Artist unknown)

12/25/2023